Car-coupler-positioning device



Jan. 1o, 1928.

A. E. SMALL CAR COUPLER PosITroNING DEVICE Filed April 19, 192

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Patented itl,

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` ",tliie device relatee to nieane tor automatieally position the coupler ot a railway ear lay Gravityn ence liad to tlie accompanying tl;rzitvvinggeu vvliieli illuetrate tlie preferred torna oit tlie invention.,"though it ie to loe un deretood that tlfie invention ie not limited to tlie enact details oit eonntruetion elioivn and a limited amount oil lateral nnweinentn vSnell limitation ie necessary and oeeential beeauee il tlie couplere were allo-Wed to :nove too tar to eitller eide t' 1e couplers oit the two cara teint; coupled would pants eaeli other and .not couple7 tllereliy defeating; tile object oit tile antornatic eeunler. Ylie greater tlie lateral rnovelnent ot a, coupler title leen .eide presJu eure on tlle etriltinrr cantine` rr/lien tlie care are tro' around. eurvee. This lateral toreo eine tornen tlie wlieel 'tlangree againet the rail taueintol eoneidera'ble lrietion and wear inn; oit tlie rails and Wlieele tlne ot tlie objects oit tlie invention ie to inereaee tlie alnount et perinieeilale lateral rnoveinent ozt a. coupler oy providing; anto-- inatio ineane 'tor returning the couplers to tlie longitudinal center ot 'tlie ear or at leaet oloee enough thereto eo that the autonia'tie couplere vvill couple. lfliie wlntt ie termed tlie loonpli'nybv rangewn llt ie very otten necessary to eonple care on eurvee and frequently 'when the adine ot tlie curve ie very sinall, ae ie coininon around industrial plante, 'tlie couplers oit tlie trvo care vvill be eo tar out ot' alignment that tliey Will not automatically couple. Another olajeet et the invention is to automatically liring Snell eouplere Within coupling` range. The outside rail et a curved t'ack ie raised alaove tlie ineide rail and l provide ineane Wlierelay the coupler ie moved toward the in eide olf tlie curve lay gravity, This autoniatie gravity ineans also returne the coupler to the longitudinal center et the ear uflien tlie car nieves trono tlle `etuved to tlie etraiglrt part ot tlae traclr.

ln nay device tlie lateral inoveinent lie peeially i tween tl'ie coupler and the carrier ie elilninateih tlluo reducing :traction and consequent wear on the parte 'lfllie ie quite an item particularly in sandy countriee loeeauee conplere are coolly and tlie replaeenient ot a coupler ineane lteep' the ear ont ot eervioe Coupler poeitionii p' devices redneee tire ninnloer oit lorolr'en lrnnellee and guard arine on eouplere nliielrineinliers are frequently bent or lnolren when. the couplers are not nuthin, Coupling; range .ducli devicee also reduce the nuinber ot accidente to traininen ae they are not required to iro luetnfeen tlie @are and poeition the Coupler 'preparatory to eonplingg. A

lt line been :tonud advantaneete-i to llave tlm Vler eupnort cnet in L)ral with tlie aet to obtain a tour eided ineinlrrein'torcee tlie end eill, dra'tt eilt and aeeociated parte and iny device eetantalile to tuclil a eonllli ned; caetin fn the drawingge:

'l enerve a typical atlantication et tlie device to a railway can 1 t2; ie a :section on line et ltlliz l..

it l and ,l are diaiaralne :snowing tlle preterred lforln ir normal noeition and en treine lateral position, reepectivelym tl1 ige 5 and (l slxorv the roller ot Figo. tl and lin detain ldig;u (3 lieingr a eection on line GMG oit llig;n l

'l' and eliolv a rnoditled torni. olf tlie construction.

The etiiiltinn; cant or l w bloclt Q ie at taelied to the dralt eill El orl other A[nnte ot tile car body in any enitalale manner. 'lille coupler support Ll: ifs attac-tred tl'lereto or preteralilly cant integral tlierewitli. rllie eoupier 5 reste upon tlie carriage t3 lvliicli en gae'ee tlie support in euch a :manner are to re strict ite movement longitudinally ot tlie car lout permite. ite inovcinent eideiviee ot tile ear. Vlliie ie pre'teiably accomplished liy providingi a til-eliaped Support having spaced apart Walle 7 8 upon which the carriage nieves in one direction liutrestrieted in its movement longitudinally ot tlio ear. This carriage ie larovided will). inerme lll to restrict tlie lateral movement of tlie coupler relative thereto.

@ne or more rollere l2 are internoeed te tween tile support and the carriage, eacll oit n'liieli rollers lian a, lower curved enrtaoe lll having; a rolling; eniggagelnent rvitli erin port, tlie radine 'lil ot tlie curve being greater 't VE lit than half the depth ofthe roller so that as it rolls to one side it raises the coupler, as shown in Figs. 4 and 8. This is what is called an eccentric roller. These rollers also have a cylindrical upper portion 60 having a journaled engagement 61 with the carriage. The. relative position of the journal and the curved surface may be reversed and still come within the scope of this invention.

Some means must be provided to maintain operative relation between thevarious elements. This may be accomplished by providing projections 16 on the support which engage' the opposite ends of the rollers, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. This result may be accomplished by providing a single projeetion 18 on the support Whichengages slots 1n the rollers, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 or .may Simply be a tooth.

In an application for patent tiled of even date I have disclosed but not claimed certain features which are claimed herein, the copending application claiming features and structures forming an independent invention.

I claim:

1. In a railway ear; the combination of a lcoupler support, a coupler carriage, and an a coupler support, a coupler carriage, and a quadrant journaled in said carriage and having a curved surface with a rolling en gagementwith the support, the radius oiE the curved surtace beinggreater than the depth oi' the quadrant.

3. In a railwa)7 car; the combination ot :i coupler support, a coupler carriage, and an eccentric quadrant. journaled in said carriage and having` a curved surface with a rotting engagement with the support. said support having means eo-acting with said surface to maintain operative relation therebetween.

4. In a railway car; the combination of a coupler support, a coupler carriage, and a quadrant journaled in said carriage and having a curved surface with a rolling engagement with the support, the radius of the curved surface beingr greater than the depth of the quadrant, said support having projections which engage the opposite ends of the quadrant to maintain opcative relation therebetween.

5. In a railway car; the combination of a coupler support, a. coupler carriage, and an eccentric quadrant journaled in one of said elements and havingr a rolling engagement with the other of said elements.

ARTHUR E. SMALL. 

